Planegg, 1 August 2018 – Hehnke GmbH & Co. KG, a subsidiary of PartnerFonds AG, has invested in modern management systems and automation technology as well as stepped up its spatial capacities throughout the past decade, thus developing into a highly efficient serial producer of sophisticated plastic injection moulding components. Hehnke GmbH & Co. KG is highly acclaimed among its customers - most of them from the automobile industry - for its expertise in 2K injection moulding and its knowledge of hybrid components (metal-plastic combinations). In addition to investments in serial production capacities, which have become necessary with increasing order volumes, the 2018-2020 investment strategy envisages the ramping-up of tool engineering.

In August 2018, a planning software for tool engineering will be introduced and integrated in the ERP system already in place. This shall facilitate the assessment of tool engineering capacities, and the integrated planning software shall help to optimally exploit all existing resources in order to minimise the company's outsourcing quota.

Investments in the advancement of tool engineering in 2019 shall create the spatial capacities needed to optimise workflow and structure of all tool engineering processes. These investments shall also support the installation of a training workshop for apprentices, which today forms an essential criterion for selecting a company with apprenticeship training.

As of 2020, investments will focus on new technologies, facilitated by the spatial capacities created in 2019. This also includes the procurement of high-precision eroding and milling machines and tools. Investments in 2019 and 2020 are targeted at increasing overall tool engineering performance, thus also contributing to a further reduction of the company's outsourcing quota.

“The financing volume amounts to EUR 5.6 million in total. A debt facility of EUR 2.48 million is provided by our house bank; a further amount of EUR 0.8 million comes from Postbank and yet a further amount of EUR 1.2 million is secured from KfW through the ‘KfW Mezzanine’ funding programme. Since 60% of this development loan is of a subordinate nature, this will positively impact the balance sheet of Hehnke GmbH & Co. KG in the long term. Last but not least, Thüringer Aufbaubank will provide an investment contribution of EUR 1.12 million,” says Oliver Kolbe, CEO of PartnerFonds AG.

As an industrial holding company, PartnerFonds AG invests in medium-sized enterprises with an industrial background and a solid growth potential in the German-speaking region, seeking to secure their long-term stability and advancement.

In line with this “buy, hold & develop” strategy, our subsidiaries are independent business entities operating under the umbrella of PartnerFonds AG to form a strong group of companies with an industrial bias.

Our business activity is focused on the DACH region. Our target companies typically generate sales revenues in the range of EUR 10 to 50 million and have a distinct and robust core business. All subsidiaries operate independently from the beginning and pursue separate strategies. A key concern of PartnerFonds AG is to continuously explore synergies at group level.